What do prominent Iranian cinema directors say about Imam Khomeini?

Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, is loved and respected by a great number of artists, actors and movie makers. It would be too accurate to say that the contemporary history cannot be written without Imam Khomeini.

ID:4914710/09/2017

A famous Iranian cinema director sees Imam Khomeini as a cultural personality who managed to change world’s political literature in favour of poor people. He also adds that the emergence of a calm, friendly and brave man changed the history’s route.

What comes following is translation of a text published in Tabnak news which shows artists deep affection towards Imam Khomeini.

Imam Khomeini through the eyes of 4 outstanding directors of Iranian cinema

Imam Khomeini the great leader of revolution in addition to cherishing a high level of popularity amongst people, was and is loved and respected by a great number of artists especially some movie makers and actors who would often in their words express love and respect for him.

“Imam’s words were decisive for cinema”. Says Dariush Mehrjuii

Dariush Mehrjuii is an outstanding and old tenure director of Iranian cinema who often interviewed Imam and his family members by the time that Imam dwelled in Nofel le Chateau. A work of Mehrjuii by the name of COW had won a special recognition from Imam. Mehrjuii many years ago in response to a question about Imam’s favour to his film commented:

“Cinema in the atmosphere of the early years of revolution was a damned subject and people attempted to burning cinemas. Since they said, cinema was the place for spreading corruption. For this reason film production [in those years] fell down to zero level and cinemas were almost shut down. In such condition the Iranian T.V by a chance played the movie COW and his holiness. Imam watched it and in a speech said: “We don’t say cinema is bad basically. Movies like COW can be culturally educative and upgrade thought and spirit of the audience”. This word of Imam was so decisive for Iranian cinema.”

“Imam [was] a brave, calm and friendly man”. Says Reza Mir Karimi

Reza Mir Karimi is another well-known Iranian film director in whose artistic workbook, religious cinema and moral and social themes have a special stand. He sees Imam as a cultural personality who managed to change world’s political literature in favour of poor people and in an era that the virus of hopelessness and submissiveness towards oppression had sickened human civilization, the emergence of a calm, friendly and brave man changed the history’s route”.

In his view point, by the time of war when the country was exposed to a serious threat the only factor which helped us success in that period was the cultural stream based upon the religious beliefs that were suggested by Imam. In a period that even our media did not have the sufficient strength to accompany the revolution, his reverent Imam by himself was in size of a cultural media that fed all of the fronts.

He admired Imam his worship, in an interview of him and said: in order to be able to picture all dimensions of his holiness Imam’s personality, we need a time through pass of which effects of Imam’s movement in the world become more visible so that we afford to produce a proper judgment on his reverent effects…

Mojtaba Raii: The contemporary history cannot be written without Imam.

Mojtaba Raii director of the recent year’s movie Birth of a butterfly, believes that once a man becomes part of a country’s history then no one can ignore him when writing history regardless of his trend and mentality. No one can write Iran’s contemporary history without Imam his worship.

The director of the movie calls: The 10thday’s evening, thinks that we can mention Imam Khomeini as a national hero too and as he believes the secret of Imam’s power in his life time and after was his placing in people’s hearts. Imam thought of Iran’s honour and we oppress him if we just make a religious personality out of him aside from his national stature.

A reminiscence from Rasul Sadr Aamili [another Iranian film maker]

Rasul Sadr Aamili is the director of movies like Golhay Davoodi [DaisyFlowers], Tehran Symphony and Memories of a reporter, who by the time of revolution as a correspondent had an outstanding presence in the events. Sadr Aamili in an interview of him related an interesting memory about Imam:

By the time of revolution as a correspondent I had the honour of reporting a summary of news from all media to Imam in about 10 minutes. We were sitting in the eighth line of Namaz that Imam suddenly screamed: “someone opens that door”, we who did not hear the knocking in spite of being closer to the door were fully surprised. A three year old French girl of the neighbourhood in Nofel le Chateau hadn’t reached the bell shivered there freezing from cold.